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Saturday, April 14, 2012

Sold! And a giveaway!

ETA: We have surpassed our goal of $1/comment--503! So we are closing the giveaway a little early. Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to leave a comment to help raise money for this fabulous organization, MCC. The winner of the scraps will be announced Saturday, 4/21/12.

Today is the day. Colorbox is on the auction block. I have been preparing this quilt for over a year now. While you are reading this, it may or may not have already sold. The details will follow tomorrow.

In the meantime, I thought I'd give a little rundown of how the auction works. All the money this weekend goes to Mennonite Central Committee, a very highly rated charitable organization where over 80 percent of the money actually goes to aid around the world rather than to administrative expenses. Their mission statement is "Relief, development and peace in the name of Christ," and here is a list of where their presence is felt. In their own words, "MCC strives to meet urgent needs in areas torn by disaster or war and to
reach out to people forced to flee from their homes. MCC provides food, aid such as relief kits or blankets and other needed items in the days or weeks following a disaster.

I'll be posting pictures of what the yearly event looks like here in Fresno, as I'm not sure I've ever done that before. Lots of food booths--so yummy--the food is donated, and help is all volunteer. Plants are for sale, wonderful items--jewelry, decorative items--from around the world, used books, antiques, household items, you name it, it's probably here, all in the cause of raising money for people in need. There is a 5k run, a two-mile walk, a pancake breakfast. It's a place to reconnect with friends you haven't seen since the last sale a year ago and a place to meet new friends. There is music, homemade jams and pies, silent auction....and all proceeds go to MCC. Each year over $250,000 is raised here in Fresno during this weekend.

It's one of my favorite weekends of the entire year.

And the crown jewel in this amazing weekend is the quilt auction. People have been working hard all year long to make these quilts, donating their time, their money, hoping that people will bid the quilts up to a high price before the gavel goes down and the auctioneer says "Sold!" There are quilts that are all hand quilted, tied comforters, beautiful hand crocheted or hand knit afghans. Want to know the secret to making a quilt that sells for a lot of money? It's impossible to predict which quilt will be the one that goes for a lot of bucks. It isn't the color. It isn't the style. It isn't a special quilt block. The secret is simply this: finding two people, maybe three, but finally just two people who really REALLY want that specific quilt. We have seen exquisitely handquilted beauties bring hardly any money. We have seen little wall hangings go for a seemingly astronomical amount of money. Oh, the drama...

It's one of my favorite weekends of the entire year. Did I already say that?

Because I have never done this before, I thought I would show the five quilts that I have donated to this event. Each has been a collaborative effort between me and Ione Ewert Whitney, Mark's first cousin, who is an absolute artist on her long arm quilting machine.

The first quilt was a simple Amish Shoo-Fly (80x92), made and donated in 2003. Ione had already made a quilt similar to this one and I fell in love with it, its simplicity and her machine quilting using variegated thread. In 2003 it was the quilt that went for the highest price, $3,400. Her machine quilting in the black blocks and border is just beautiful, but even so, we were both shocked that it was the highest seller. Interestingly, a beautiful hand appliqued Baltimore Album quilt (104x116) only brought $3,000. And that's what I mean when I say you just cannot predict which quilt will bring the highest dollar amount.

We did another quilt the next year, 2004, Ohio Star Variation (86x113--an odd size but I had to work the body of the quilt to fit the dimensions of the border, not the other way around). There was a particular focus fabric that I just fell in love with and used it as the basis for each block. I found a pattern for the border which was a tricky but beautiful in design. This quilt sold for $3,100.

The quilt selling for the highest amount that year was a hand painted whole-cloth quilt by a local Fresno artist, Margaret Hudson (96x108, $3,300).

Ione and I skipped a couple of years, and then in 2007 we did Kaleidoscope (108x108). I used two fabrics by Paula Nadelstern, moving a plastic template around to cut eight identical segments for each block, to see how many different blocks I could get out of two symmetrically printed fabrics. Turns out, I was able to get twenty-five different blocks from this fabric and another similar one.

This quilt sold for $2,100. The quilt bringing the highest amount ($7,250) was 100x114 and was a hand appliqued "Country Love."

In 2010, we collaborated on California Garden (110x112), a design by Pam Bono Designs which is meant to look like hand applique but it is all pieced. There are 3,460 pieces in this king-sized quilt. It sold for $3,700.

That
brings us up to today, Colorbox. I have posted my progress on this
quilt. Until I made Colorbox, Ohio Star had been my reigning favorite
donation quilt. Colorbox completely knocked it off the podium.
Admittedly I have had a hard time letting go of this one. It is another
king-sized quilt and it is simply gorgeous (104x104).

I wish you could see the quilting in person. Each time Ione sends the quilt back to me, it just takes my breath away.

In case you are wondering how the auction works as far as donation, here goes: Ione charges me half of her normal fee for machine quilting, and that is her charitable donation. The quilt is assigned a "fair market value," usually around $500 for a king size, and if you have ever made a quilt of this size, you know that that about covers your costs in terms of fabric, batting, backing, etc., but certainly not the time you have spent actually making the quilt. Whatever the fair market value is, that is what I get to write off at tax time. The difference between the fair market value and the amount the winning bidder spends on the quilt is the winner's charitable donation. So if you are looking at it from strictly a financial perspective, it is a way to buy a quilt and write it off on your income taxes.

Making a quilt of this size and then giving it away is something I have to "psych" myself into. From the beginning, I remind myself that this is not "my" quilt. That usually helps keep me from getting too bonded with it. MCC is a wonderful organization and the work they do is vital to so many people, those who don't have the resources for the things we take for granted on a daily basis--food, clean water, a comfortable place to live. Sitting in my sewing room, a place that is comfortable and creative, with music, audible books, good lighting, snacks when I want them...things I take for granted way too often, making something beautiful with colorful fabric...the time and the money seems like a small price to pay when the proceeds go to a much greater cause--helping those truly in need.

So my hope is that two people will fall in love with Colorbox, raise their bidding numbers against each other, and be willing to pay tons of money for it.

I'm sure it will go to a really good home...

Now comes a chance for you to help. It's a giveaway!

THE GIVEAWAY: One 3" WOF (width of fabric) strip of Kona cotton in each of the sixteen colors in the Colorbox quilt, plus a couple of fabric scraps in each color--fabric that was actually used in the quilt.

I'm sure it will go to a really good home...

YOUR PART: Leave a comment, and let me know your favorite charitable organization, if you have one. Or let me know if you have a given away a quilt that was really hard to let go.

OUR PART: Mark and I will donate $1 to MCC for each comment left on this post. Mark sings in a 170-voice men's chorus that performs four times this year--no admission to attend, but a freewill offering is taken at each performance. One hundred percent of the offering proceeds go to MCC. This year celebrates thirty-five years that the men have been singing and they hope this year to top $500,000 in total giving from these performances.

Leave a comment, tell your friends and have them leave a comment. Seriously. Please make sure that Mark and I write a really large check at the final performance of this year, April 29 in Arroyo Grande, California. We'll let RNG pick a winner for the Colorbox fabric scraps next Saturday, April 21, at 6 p.m. PDT.

Wow Cindy - good luck with the auction, your quilt is wonderful; and also good luck to your husband's choir.

I have just made and donated a quilt to Siblings Together, for kids who are separated by the Care system, fostered into different homes away from their brothers and sisters - it is the first I have made a whole 'charity' quilt completely on my own, and I am proud to play my part. xhttp://www.flickr.com/groups/siblingstogether/

My favorite charity is Elijah's Heart by Papa Joe Bradford (found here: http://papajoe.org/ ) It started out with Joe and Denise Bradford simply loving the children where they lived in Nashville and opening their eyes to all the needs around them. They are conduits for resources many in poverty depend upon--from food to school uniforms--and they love in very practical ways. They also have a children's choir that gives children an alternative use for their time and a sense of community. They are a grassroots organization, and their hearts are so full of love it's palpable.

Thanks for the opportunity to share about them with others! Maybe in the future I'll make a quilt for their organization ;-)

I love this quilt. It's simply fantastic that you're donating it for an auction like this. How generous of you...I wish you the best of luck.

Humm...I've donated lots of fabric and a quilt top to Project Linus, and two to Blankets of Love, but I think my fav charity organization right now is called ASH. They do fab things for animals in Ireland. http://www.ashanimalrescue.com/ash/

My favorite charitable organization is Compassion International. I'm blessed to sponsor two children through them.

I'm also a fan of Mercy Ministries since I have a good friend that was transformed in their program. They have a residential program for young women who have eating disorders, drug addictions, etc., and they provide their services for free.

That sounds like a fabulous cause, and a wonderful weekend to go with it, I hope Colorbox makes a very sizeable amount for them.

I donate to several international aid and children's charities, but quilt-wise I'm waiting for 2 tops to arrive from the US for me to add the batting, backing, quilting and binding before I send it on to Siblings Together. I knew I wouldn't have the time to make an entire quilt from scratch before the deadline given my other current commitments, but I figure I can help out with the quilting

Great idea, Cindy! I love your quilts. Incredible work for a great cause. You both should be proud of your contributions. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and that the quilt raises a lot of money. Thanks for the giveaway!

I donated a quilt to my local children's hospital last fall, as part of the 100 Quilts for Kids drive. My next charity quilt will be for Quilts of Valor. I also aim to participate in a local quilt auction later this year, which benefits our local Hospice organization. It's difficult to part with quilts we love, but all for a good cause!

Clever idea, to challenge your readers with matching dollars for comments! Best wishes to you, your auction, and the MCC.-Tiffany

Thanks for posting your previous auction quilts. I'm glad to hear that your Fresno sale gets good prices for quilts. Here in Winnipeg we don't have a strong tradition of bidding up the quilts, so many of us quiltmakers no longer donate quilts to the auction because we don't want to see them go so low. I love your Colorbox quilt and I'd have fun playing with your solid strips. Maybe I'd make a quilt to donate to MCC for relief. thanks for the chance to win.

Those quilts are absolutely stunning. Jaw-dropping really. Besides my church, one of my favorite organizations to donate to is our local Public Radio station. Have a wonderful weekend! marthalynn16 at gmail

Your quilt knocks them out of the park! It is so happy and bright. It's gorgeous! I think Mark needs to do a fused glass art piece mimicing this quilt. It would be really easy to make. ;-) kidding.I have several favourite charities, but top of the list is always one involving children... good luck to your fundraising efforts!

My husband and I donate, among other places, to Child Fund (used to be called Christian Children's Fund). We sponsor a boy in Indonesia, and get regular updates on his progress. Locally, I've just donated two quilts to a shelter for homeless families. They get to take the quilts with them when they find a home, which makes me feel very good. Congratulations on your good works. Thanks for sharing. Kathie L in Allentown

Besides our local church, we have supported Kids Alive, World Vision and Samaritan's Purse. Our latest addition is Shepherd's Ministries, which provides Christian care and vocational training for adults with development disabilities. There are so many worthy charities. Thanks for sharing your story.

Can't wait to hear what the winning bid was! I am sure it will be mind blowing :)I donate to the Canadian Cancer Society & the MS Society regularily, two diseases that have affected me personally.

I donated a quilt to the local NICU last year, in honour of a dear friend. It was hard, knowing that it would be in the hands of parents going through such a hard time. I wonder what happened to that little baby sometimes...although my info was included with the quilt, I have never heard from the parents.

The quilts are just beautiful. Such a great cause. My favorite charity is an orphange in Guatemala called Casa On The Rock.My daughter, who is a teacher, goes there each year with a church group to teach Bible School. The other favorite of mine is Samaritan's Purse who does the Operation Christmas Child Shoebox Ministry. We love packing the boxes with gifts for a child in some other part of the world and help to spread the gospel. I am a beginner quilter so I haven't donated a quilt, but it is something I would like to do someday.

What a beautiful quilt! Hopefully, it will set records. We usually donate to Doctors without Borders, the local food bank, and some sort of international crisis each year, as well as donating blood. Hard to pick a favourite though, they all do good work.

Color box is a gorgeous quilt! Can't wait to hear about today. The choir must sound wonderful, too! I am a fan of the Humane Society. Also of a program at a women's prison that teaches women to groom and train working dogs. We have an annual fund raiser called Harbor Hounds where you pay to enter to walk the harbor and visit booths - pet stores, greyhound rescue, dog washing, yard fencing, dog trainers, the Prison Pet program, etc have booths. Duke and I enjoy supporting it! Proceeds go to the Humane Society.

I'm so impressed that people bid so much! I've heard disappointing stories about quilts sold at auction for such low prices-not enough to even cover the fabrics!I can't say I really have a pet charity-I tend to donate to local Hawaii charities that help people.

Love your quilt and your generous heart! I have too many favorite charities to mention but mostly we are givers to our church and its charitable endeavors. I'm making a quilt for a silent auction right now that will support our youth in a ministry trip. I hope your quilt fulfills its purposes.

These are all stunning! My gosh, the work and detail that goes into them - they are priceless. I'd be shocked if your colour box didn't cause a huge bidding war! That kaleidoscope is incredible. Thank you so much for sharing all of these....

I'm a big fan of CARE Canada. They do a lot of work, particularly for women and children, in the third world. Most of the things they do are about helping them get a start as opposed to merely handouts. I agree, though, that MCC is a wonderful organization. My boss has done some work for a a couple different MCCs; the events they put on are fantastic!

Thanks for the chance - and thanks for Mark, as I just cost him a dollar. :-)

Your quilt is so gorgeous! Anyone would be lucky to now this treasure. I hope you do well today! I think my favorite charity would be a local one called Angel's Wish, which is an animal shelter that finds foster homes for stray pets while they wait to be adopted permanently. We got our cats from that organization. Enjoy your big day!

You've put a lot of compassion and prayer into Colorbox, and I hope it reaps an enormous contribution to this good charity. Kenya Connect matches stateside schools with Kenyan schools for cultural interaction, and our schools raise funds to build toilets and wells and books and supplies. Our teachers spend their own money to go there and train/encourage Kenyan teachers. Seeds of Hope International and Lifewater drill wells and teach hygiene in central Africa.

I loved reading this post! I appreciate the time you took to let us experience this wonderful event and I can see why it would be a favorite weekend. One of my favorite charities is Heartstring Quilts; members make blocks, or whole sets of blocks, or backings, or quilts to benefit those who have a need for them.

I don't have a favorite charity, they are all so wonderful! I run my own teeny-tiny ministry where I digitize and machine embroider footprints/hand-prints for parents that have lost their baby. I occasionally do a baby quilt for free also. I don't have much cost except for the shipping and some moms and friends have chipped in some nice donations. The most difficult quilt for me to do for an school auction was a stain-glass window quilt I did for my PTO board. We painted individual crosses with fabric paint and I incorporated it into one large cross. My husband actually bought it, but then we donated it to the school to hang in the library. I loved that quilt, but at least I can go see it whenever I want!

How wonderful you are to do this. I give quilts to charity and actually had one auctioned this year. I am not in your league as a piecer and I certainly am not on Ione's league as a quilter, but I was still happy to help in my own little way. The best part was it was the highest selling item in the auction. I aspire to be a great all round quilter some day, but there may not be enough time in my life to get there.

Congratulations on bringing in the largest dollar amount for a quilt at the auction today. The process has been inspiring from beginning to end! I think MCC is a great organization so toss in a dollar for me!

My sister gave away a teddy bear she had to a little girl when she was evacuating Fukushima, Japan last year. She felt that little one needed it more than her and was awed at the little girl's joy. I can not even imagine the joy and warmth this quilt will bring to a family who may have not much more than this quilt to provide comfort in a time of great need.

I am starting a knitting project for the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital. A women's hospital to repair injuries from childbirth.

Congratulations on such a lovely finish and how giving of you to donate it. I donate to BCNA every year...(not for research into Breast Cancer, but for support to those already afflicted)May your quilt find generous souls who love it.

gorgeous quilt cindy - and a wonderful thing to do - especially as often as you do. i'm a 'do good stitches' quilter so we make a quilt every month for charity - but usually only only 2 blocks, unless i'm the quilter that month.

What a wonderful quilt and how generous to give it away to a worthy cause. I am a volunteer at the Pearl S. Buck House in Perkasie, PA. Our volunteer association raises money for Pearl Buck International and supports programs for children in other countries. Millions of lives have been improved by their work.

All of your quilts are beautiful! I donated a quilt to Relay for Life this year. It was my first donation quilt. I had to remind myself too that it was not for me! Good luck to your charity. Sounds like you guys do an excellent job on raising money for this worthwhile cause.

So fun to read about the quilts. I live in your area and started following your blog just about the time the last block of Colorbox was finished. I went to the auction just to see your quilt. Pictures do not do it justice. Simply gorgeous!

Sounds like a great organization and a fun event. I actually grew up in Fresno and had never heard of this. Thanks for the recap of past quilts. I can only imagine a Margaret Hudson quilt! I like giving to the LDS Church Humanitarian Aid Fund. (the Mormons) these funds are used in their entirety for aid around the world. Seriously its amazing how much good they do and people usually dont ever hear about it until they are helping you!

Congratulations! You've done a really good thing for a great cause.I make quilts for Quilts of Valor and also a local charity called Basics. My friend Victoria of "Bumble Beans Inc." has promised hundreds of quilts for families starting over and I have given many to them.

thanks for the chance to win those colorful scraps to make my own colorbox mini.

Congratulations to you and your husband for making the world a better place.

I am honored to do a tiny part in helping this great cause. Your charity quilts are breathtaking! I think It's so nice that you have made it a family affair. Good luck with the auction. And thanks for the chance to win the scraps.

Best wishes that you have a bidding war to raise more funds. I like to make lap quilts for our church donations to the VA in an county and a local nursing home. As a slow hand quilter it is tough letting go of any of my quilts, albeit none are as wonderful as the photos you posted. Scraps are always appreciated! Thanks for the chance.

I have followed your progress on this quilt as you have blogged about it. It is one of the most beautiful quilts I've seen in a while, and I hope it brings in lots of money! I don't really have a hard time giving up the items that I make for charities, but maybe that's just because I haven't made anything that I was so in love with. Mostly, though, I've just donated blocks or minis. This year will be the first occasion that I'm donating a full quilt to a charity, Hand2Help. :)

Wow, those are some impressive quilts! Something to work towards, I guess.

I'm not sure I have a favourite charitable organization - I try to donate to various different types of organizations and in different places, although I make sure that the ratings are high for every one I donate to. I know MCC is one of them, so toss in a dollar for me. When I was in university I used to like going to the local Mennonite fall fair, and there was always a silent auction with proceeds to the MCC.

Thanks for sharing all the quilts you have donated. I'm collaborating with others at the moment for my first ever donation quilt (and only my 6th quilt ever) here in Singapore. It is going to Australia's Biggest Morning Tea for Cancer Council.

Awesome! One of my favorites is Voice of the Martyrs, which provides relief ministries to persecuted Christians in difficult places around the world. (Part of their mission also involves raising awareness in countries like ours, of what really goes on in countries like theirs.)

Your efforts are amazing! All the monies you spend for supplies, then the time spent quilting, and now donating according to comments. Wow. I'm impressed. You are extremely generous. If my comment is picked for your giveaway, please pass the win along to someone else. Thank you!

Colourbox is stunning! I'm sure it will make loads. I run a charity quilting bee called Bee Blessed:http://judith-justjude.blogspot.co.uk/p/bee-blessed.htmlmaking & donating quilts to local needy families and groups.Well done on your efforts this year. I've no doubt you will bring a blessing to many.Kind regards, Jxo

Your Color Box quilt is amazing. The reason you made it is even more beautiful. I hope you can raise a huge amount.I love to help AMI, its an international association that sends doctors and nurses to help all over the world.Thanks for the lovely giveaway.

What a gorgeous quilt! I recently donated a quilt to be auctioned to raise money for a family who's infant daughters have been diagnosed with a terminal auto immune disease. It felt so good to do something, anything for these poor people.

Your quilt is fabulous and is sure to go for a huge amount. I am in the process of finishing a quilt for Siblings Together, and help other quilting friends on a smaller scale with blocks and baby quilt tops for their charities.

Wow these quilts are beautiful. I hope you raise tons of cash at the auction. My favourite charity at the moment is Siblings Together, many of us came across this charity through Lynne of Lily's quilts, and so many wonderful quilts have been donated. My contribution was a poem about the quilts, to be given to each of the children. Keep up the good work, look forward to seeing your next project soon :-)

What a stunning quilt and wonderful that you can give it away! Well done. My favourite charitable cause...at the moment it's Siblings Together in the UK, I'm working on making some quilts for the children to take home from camp this year.thanks for the giveaway

We support Epilepsy charities as much as we can. Mainly Epilepsy Action. Our eldest daughter has severe epilepsy.

Please be kind enough to enter me in your give-away. Just so's you know, if I were lucky enough to win the fabric, I would be using it to make quilts for the 'Siblings Together' charity -quilt makes for children who are fostered and seperated from their siblings.It's not a charity I had heard about until 'Lily's Quilts' told us about it.I've got the time, but not the fabric, so fingers crossed for me :o)

What a beautiful quilt, and lovely post. Thank you for sharing the "heart" behind the project.

I support a number of organizations that bring relief and kindness to this world. The LDS Church steps in after disasters, and it sounds like the Mennonites are doing similar work. I also support Doctors Without Borders, and the Humane Society. It's amazing how many people are out there, doing good, isn't it?

There are so many great charities out there. One close to my heart is The Royal British Legion (with whom I hope to become a volunteer case worker.)It is a charity that concerns itself with veterans needs and as my other half has spent his entire adult life in the armed forces it seemed a fitting charity to get involved with.

Hi Cindy, great quilts, great work for a great organisation: MCC always does GOOD.My favourite quiltdonating charity is Siblings Together at themoment. In mycountry, the Netherlands, are several for children in hospital or for the parents of a still born.There are soooo many GOOD charities!And if I'm honest: love to win those strips & scraps!

Hi this is wonderful.....Yes I have given away a quilt that was hard to do but you know what I never regreted it she gave it more love and it made her just smile whenever I saw her that it was well worth it. And I do give to the woman abuse center in in TN both to the children and the Mother....it started with a been there done that. You are doing such wonderful things...thank you

What a stunning quilt! My favourite charity is ClicSargeant that helps kids with cancer. My friends son with leukaemia has benefited loads from them and also raised over £100,000 for them recently! Well done Ted Rice!

What a stunning quilt! My favourite charity is ClicSargeant that helps kids with cancer. My friends son with leukaemia has benefited loads from them and also raised over £100,000 for them recently! Well done Ted Rice!

Your donation quilts have just blown me away. Theyare treasures and I can see why they do so well as a fundraiser. I bet Colorbox will raise the highest amount ever this year! It is stunning! Congratulations for making such a difference! And thank you for the chance to win your jelly roll!

The colorbox quilt is beautiful. I commend you on your continuous support of deserving causes. My favorite charity is any of several food banks in my community. I would certainly love to have your scraps. Thank you for the chance to win.

What a beautiful quilt! It looks like you made paper pieced roses in each block- Lovely! My favorite Charity is the American Heart and Lung Association. I have also just heard about the Live a Siblings Together Project.

That's fantastic! The quilt is beautiful, and as a Mennonite, MCC is one of my favorite organizations - so great to hear you post about them! We also love Heifer International, World Vision, and Compassion International.

Cindy, the quilt is wonderful. I hope that the auction goes well and makes lots of money! I have never made a quilt for charity as I have only been quilting for a year. As a couple, my husband and myself financially support a number of charities, especially ones based in the third world or developing countries. Di x

My favourite charity to donate to is Medicines Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) for the work they do among people who die for such small things as we take for granted: clean water and basic medical care.

I actually have two favorites that are both local. One is Angel House which provides temporary shelter to young girls who have been removed from their home for whatever reason and for whom foster care could not immediately be found. I also love Welcome House who provides shelter and services for battered women and children in our county. Our girl scout troop (my daughter's) always supports one or the other each year.Thanks for the chance.

What an incredible gesture of charity you have made to the Mennonite Central Committee over the years. The monies made from your beautiful quilts have made a tremendous difference in the lives of so many who are in need.

What an amazing act of love! (And a great exercise in letting go..). I don't have a favorite organization but I'm always on the lookout for someone who needs a block or two. Otherwise, I'm busy making quilts for my students! If they spent as much time on grammar as they do on having fun.....oh, a girl can dream!

Wow, that's awesome. I am very familiar with MCC, being of Mennonite background, so the idea of donations to them is great. I have made several donations to our local hospital foundation, which I like because then I know that what I make is going directly to someone in my town.

amazing quilt - would love to win strips and scraps from it. I currently support the MS cause as my son-in-law (father of triplets born July 2011)has been determined to suffer from. I am currently making laptop size quilts and when I have a dozen, will take them to local chemo or kidney center. I will be offline from the 21-28th so if I win, please hold......tnx

I also work on quilts donated through my church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The only personal quilt I've donated was a quilt I made for my daughter's high school cheerleading squad to raffle off as a fund raiser (It made $750!). Thanks for the opportunity to win such a great giveaway! :)

I read about the final auction number -- that's gotta feel absolutely wonderful that your hard work went to bringing so many precious dollars to a good cause!

I have several charitable organizations that are dear to my heart; to name a few: Project Linus (I've donated several blankets and blanket-making supplies, but never a quilt), ASPSA, American Cancer Society, and, more recently, the Luekemia and Lymphoma Society. But my all-time favorite is a local therapy dog organization, HABIT through which I volunteer with my mutt. :o)

What great quilts! And the weekend sounds fantastic! My favourite charities are RSPCA and PDSA (they help animals that are sick or abandoned), The Samaritans who provide confidential emotional support in the UK and Ireland (http://www.samaritans.org/?gclid=CKO2o7Dzua8CFYwMtAod1UBFjQ) and The Fellowship (a Catholic organisation that helps people of all ages who have special needs or who are vulnerable). If I win please give the prize to someone who will use it for a charitable cause, like Judith's Bee Blessed, Siblings Together or Project Linus, etc. Good luck with the fund raising!

wow, they sure go for large amounts of money. I made a smaller charity quilt for Parkinson's disease and it was raffled/auctioned over the weekend, am waiting to find out how much it raised but i'm sure it wont be in the 000's and would be surprised if it was in the 100's but every little helps eh :o)

Congratulations on the success of your stunning quilt at the auction!I've come to your blog from Lily's Quilts and have so enjoyed reading about your local fundraising weekend. It's heartwarming to hear about the efforts of a few to help those in devastating need:)There are so many worthy causes out there. I hope to support Siblings Together this summer by making a quilt. I'm touched by the generosity of the worldwide quilting community.Best wishes for your husband's singing performance and thanks for your sweet giveaway and donations!

We support a Christian children's fund called Chalice. We believe 100% in what they do, which makes it so much more rewarding to be able to share with them! Thank you for sharing with us, too! So very generous of you to share your time and talents.

Wow you are so generous with your time! My favorite charity is the Humane Society, since I have cats but no children, all who I got from their shelters. I hope there is no END to the comments so the check is giant!

Much success in your generousity. Hopefully, you will exceed your goals.

All of your charity donation quilts are beautiful, but this Colorbox quilt is my favorite. I just love how you mixed the scraps to make a single colored fabric--I must try this technique. I think today that the more modern quilts will bring more money, even though I personally love traditional quilts.

There are so many worthy charities that it's difficult to choose a favorite. However, since I volunteer at the Metamo4ic Math Center in my community, I will say it's my favorite.

I've never had angst about giving up a quilt that I've made for charity, but I have had that feeling about quilts that I've made for loved ones. In particular, I wanted to keep a Plus quilt that I recently made for a new grandchild of a longtime family friend. I loved that scappy quilt so much and it was my first real successful FMQ quilt.

What a truly touching reminder of the kindness that exists around the world every day!! I'm just blown away and your quilt is really fantastic!! Great colors and pattern!! I want to wish you the best of luck and am happy to contribute my comment to the cause!

What a beautiful quilt and great charity work. I have made several quilt blocks for different charities, made a quilt for the auction at our church benefitting the youth group for a mission trip, and 5 quilts that went on mission trips for families in Mexico. I also work with Samaritan's Purse on their Operation Christmas Child project.

I've made blankets for the Snuggles Project before (http://www.snugglesproject.org/) and I really should make another one soon. I used to work in an animal rescue shelter so I know how much those blankets help. I'm trying to find the time now to donate a quilt to Siblings Together. Hopefully this month.

Just watched the auction video - incredible the $$$ your beautiful quilt raised!!! Congrats!I have made quilts for Project Linus, QoV and Basics - and I try to quilt some of my quilt guilds charity quilts. It just feels good and I truly believe we can / will change the world: one quilt at a time!

Wow, what an inspiration!! And I'm with you - Colorbox is my favourite of them all too!! I'm a total sucker for a rainbow :)

I have just started quilting, but one day I will definitely make a charity quilt. What I would really love to do is to sew quilts for the neonatal intensive care unit at my local hospital. I'm thinking that at least once a year I will make a beautiful quilt to donate :)

Congratulations on the auction price of your beautiful Colorbox quilt. I make the largest $$ donations to UNC Public Television. And I'm making quilts for my guild to donate locally to the Meals-on-Wheels program.